


The Stars of the Sea

by speckledhound



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, F/M, Gen, Orcalock, new experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-04-18
Packaged: 2018-01-19 21:56:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1485478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/speckledhound/pseuds/speckledhound
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sally knows that Sherlock is restrained by the water around him, so she decides to figure out a way to bring him joy through human experiences.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Stars of the Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wendlaa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendlaa/gifts).



> this was written for my friend belly, who has inspired so many artists to draw xer creation. i hope xe, and everyone who reads it enjoys !

Calm waves and a breeze scented with salt had become familiar aspects of Sally Donovan’s free time; she had never been a beach lover. She hated the way the sand got in under her flip flops and in every crease of her clothes. Not to mention, it was always too crowded for her liking.

Within the past few months, however, she'd come to love it more than she ever thought she could.

The entire beach was quiet as she looked around, making her way down to the spot where she knew that Sherlock would be waiting for her.

In truth, she did not know how he had ended up the way he had, with his human torso, the rest of him identical to the bottom half of an orca. She knew in time, however, that they would talk about it. For now, Sally was focused on gaining his trust and seeing the beautiful way he saw things reflected back in his eyes.

"Sherlock," she whispered breathlessly, coming upon where he was, wading in a sort of nook between rocks and resting his head down and staring into a small water pool. It took her coming closer for him to become aware of her presence, but as he did, her company was all it took for him to become active and alive.

"Sally!" He exclaimed in greeting, his entire lower body wiggling in the water. He pushed down on the rocks with his arms so that it was as if he were standing up in order to see her better.

"Hey there," she said, crouching down to be close to him and setting down her beach bag.

"How was work?"

"Long. Quite boring. Nothing new going on." She grinned at him and he grinned back. She wished, however, that she had interesting things to tell him during her visits. He always had exciting accounts of swimming out with beautiful sea creatures or nearly being found out by an old man coming to comb the beach for coins. She wanted to provide him happiness, but she could not, not in any way that she knew.

"Sherlock…what do you want to do today?" She thought back to the kayak she’d brought in her car. It was a silly thought, but perhaps if she were out there in the water with him, they could be closer, and she wouldn’t feel as terrible as she did, walking on the beach with her two legs when Sherlock could not.

His attention snapped back over to her from where it had gone, somewhere distant that caused him to stare lovingly out into the sea.

"I want to be here with you Sally, that’s all."

She smiled and reached out for one of his hands, which he surrendered to her willingly, letting her hold it uncomfortably tight.

"No, Sherlock, I want…I want to show you something that you haven’t seen, that you haven’t been able to see, because of.."

"…because of what I am?"

Sally swallowed painfully and nodded.

"Well, I’d like…I’m not sure. You choose."

"I brought…I brought a kayak, from home, I used to take classes as a teenager, so I brought it, thinking that…I could get in it, and we could go together, down the beach, far away to where there’s people, and…talk the whole way…we could…or I could get out, we could eat by the water, no one would see your body. Or maybe-"

"Perfect." Sherlock gave Sally’s hand a squeeze and gently touched her chin to give her reason to meet his gaze. "I’ve never had human food. Do you think…would it be silly, you know, I’ve always wanted to try ice cream."

With that Sally smiled wider than he had ever seen, followed by a laugh filled with so much joy he could run on it forever if after today, she decided to never come back.

"Yes," she declared, giving him a kiss and ruffling his semi-wet curls. "Wait right here."

It hadn’t been five minutes before Sally came running back, kicking off her flip-flops and ignoring the heat of the sand.

"Hello again," she giggled, pulling the small boat up to the water’s edge and allowing Sherlock to help her into it.

Sally was so beautiful to him, most of all when she was this happy. She helped him to be able to see joys he otherwise could not, and taught him about her human ways so that he could better understand her.

Sherlock swam around to the side of the kayak and grasped the front, nearly tipping it over in his excitement, but Sally scrambled and held on, merely laughing at her close encounter with the shallow water.

“You’re not scared?” He asked her.

“No, no, not scared. Come on, get a move on,” Sally teased, patting him on the wrist.

They had never been this close before, and she had never gotten into the water with him, even if within the confines of a watercraft. Almost always their meetings consisted of Sally’s feet dangling in the water, watching Sherlock swim around and showing her what he could do while she told him about her day, her life, her relationships, how it felt to be human.

She reached out to ruffle his curls again and they both giggled as they set off, Sherlock pulling her in the small boat beside him.

He took her farther and farther down, into darker water where he could keep his lower body underneath without anyone being the wiser. There were people scattered around this part of the beach, running and playing with their children and basking in the late-day sun.

Sherlock’s eyes went right to the small array of food stands that would ordinarily be clambering with customers but were now nearly empty. For a fraction of a second his face took on the expression of a child eager to receive a treat after a hot day, until he realized and regained normalcy.

Sally’s eyes flickered to his and she gave him a kind smile, the sadness there in her eyes.

“I wanted to bring you to this side of the beach so that you could see, so that you could experience it. Stay right where you are, Sherlock.”

Sally scrambled out of the kayak and waded the short distance that it took to reach the sand and he watched her walk away to the ice cream stand to make her purchases.

He watched her fumble for her money and laugh at something the man selling to her at the stand said, and he knew that without a doubt he loved her.

She came back over to him with two ice cream bars in hand, no one there giving a second glance to a young woman going to eat while her companion lingered at her side in the water.

“Here you are,” she said as she handed him the stick of one of the bars, amused at how he eyed it in confusion, as if unaware as to how to hold it.

“Here, hmhmf, noo, Sherlock, like this.”

Sally had taken a bite out of her ice cream and a smudge had found its way on her nose and the cold sensation had stung her gums. Sherlock started out by licking his timidly, taking small bites but finding the sensation unpleasant.

“How is it?”

“Wonderful,” he answered with a mouthful that had softened and he’d tried to bite off all at once. “You’re so lucky to be able to get this all the time. It’s amazing. It’s no wonder humans enjoy chocolate so much.” He reached out and swiped the little smudge off of her nose, earning himself a quick kiss.

They finished their ice cream in quiet, the sky darkening and the beach clearing up.

He may never get to run out with Sally to the ice cream stand, but she would take off work to be with him if he asked, and she would give him the most wonderful views into her world and that meant everything.

“Alright, before I have to head home and it gets too dark, is there anything you’d like to do?”

He just smiled at her, the saddest smile she had ever seen. “I just want to be here with you Sally.”

She closed her wet eyes as he gave her the softest kiss, pulling her down into a hug.

“I love you Sherlock,” Sally whispered, stroking this tail that was peeking out of the water.

“I know.”

When the sky was completely dark and they were alone, they lay at the water’s edge under the stars, neither of them saying anything.


End file.
